fishskin vs rubber

[j...@mdfs.net]

At one time I picked up that 'fishskin' was slang for a condom. At another
time I picked up that 'rubber' was slang for a condom, and is the term I
most familiar with. However, I'm currently re-reading Heinlein's /To Sail
Beyond The Sunset/, and there's one conversation set in about 1950 where
'I have both fishskins and rubbers' is said.

I thought a fishskin was a rubber was a condom. So, from that conversation,
they are different things. So, what is the difference?

jgh

[Jerry Friedman]

This says a fishskin is a condom made of processed lamb cecum, for use
by people who react badly to rubber:

https://books.google.com/books?id=dQBAzfyCeQ8C&pg=PA375

/The Routledge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English/ quotes
Mary McCarthy: "In my memory the image of him standing by the car and
holding up that transparent sack of rubber or fishskin was the finale--
CURTAIN."

--
Jerry Friedman
"No Trump" bridge-themed political shirts: cafepress.com/jerrysdesigns
Bumper stickers ditto: cafepress/jerrysstickers

[Peter T. Daniels]

On Saturday, August 13, 2016 at 10:49:14 PM UTC-4, Jerry Friedman wrote:
> On 8/13/16 6:54 PM, j...@mdfs.net wrote:
> > At one time I picked up that 'fishskin' was slang for a condom. At another
> > time I picked up that 'rubber' was slang for a condom, and is the term I
> > most familiar with. However, I'm currently re-reading Heinlein's /To Sail
> > Beyond The Sunset/, and there's one conversation set in about 1950 where
> > 'I have both fishskins and rubbers' is said.
> >
> > I thought a fishskin was a rubber was a condom. So, from that conversation,
> > they are different things. So, what is the difference?
>
> This says a fishskin is a condom made of processed lamb cecum, for use
> by people who react badly to rubber:

It was realized early that the favored "lambskin" condom (I never heard
"fishskin") was ineffective in preventing the transmission of "AIDS" (HIV
hadn't yet been identified). Organic material was solid enough to interfere
with spermatazoa but porous enough for retroviruses. Other synthetics became
available for those sensitive to Latex.

[Dr. HotSalt]

I've heard of condoms made from actual fish skin (presumably descaled) and from the internal swim bladders some fish have, both called "fishskins". Supposedly the rubber ones were thicker back then, but less likely to have holes in them. Hence the option was to trade sensitivity for risk, I suppose.


Dr. HotSalt

[j...@mdfs.net]

Dr. HotSalt wrote:
> > I thought a fishskin was a rubber was a condom. So, from that conversation,
> > they are different things. So, what is the difference?
>
> I've heard of condoms made from actual fish skin (presumably descaled)
> and from the internal swim bladders some fish have, both called "fishskins".
> Supposedly the rubber ones were thicker back then, but less likely to have
> holes in them. Hence the option was to trade sensitivity for risk, I suppose.

That tallies with a later conversation in the book: "always use rubbers,
not fishskins", presumably meaning "always use the safer method, even
at the expense of losing the sensitivity.

jgh

[jeffer...@gmail.com]

Thanks folks. I ended up here for the same reason as the OP.

[Peter Duncanson [BrE]]

I looked at online dictionaries. They just say that fiskskin is slng for
a condom.

This article on the History of condoms:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_condoms

refers to "skin" condoms. There were not made of actual skin but of the
intestine or bladder of an animal, often sheep.

Skin condoms were in use before rubber ones were invented.

That article has nothing about condoms being made of fish skin or any
other part of a fish.

Perhaps "fishskin" was a nickname for a "skin condom". Maybe it referred
to the texture.

This show a pack of rubber condoms labelled "Fishskin":
https://collection.maas.museum/object/11092

Condoms (12) and packaging, ‘Secura Fishskin’, remnants of condoms
in intact packaging, rubber / paper / cardboard, maker unknown,
distributed by Secura Chemists, Australia, 1965-1970

That seems to be using "Fishskin" to mean condom. The word "condom"
doesn't appear on the pack.




--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

[Janet]

In article <i8jb6d1n6eohq9qhr...@4ax.com>,
ma...@peterduncanson.net says...

>
> On Mon, 22 Jan 2018 02:43:09 -0800 (PST), jeffer...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> >On Saturday, August 13, 2016 at 7:54:29 PM UTC-5, j...@mdfs.net wrote:
> >> At one time I picked up that 'fishskin' was slang for a condom. At another
> >> time I picked up that 'rubber' was slang for a condom, and is the term I
> >> most familiar with. However, I'm currently re-reading Heinlein's /To Sail
> >> Beyond The Sunset/, and there's one conversation set in about 1950 where
> >> 'I have both fishskins and rubbers' is said.
> >>
> >> I thought a fishskin was a rubber was a condom. So, from that conversation,
> >> they are different things. So, what is the difference?
> >>
> >> jgh
> >
> >Thanks folks. I ended up here for the same reason as the OP.
>
> I looked at online dictionaries. They just say that fiskskin is slng for
> a condom.

"Fishskin" = a non-rubber condom, for use where one of the partners is
allergic to rubber.

https://tinyurl.com/ybtw5l8t

Janet

[Athel Cornish-Bowden]

On 2018-01-22 12:20:06 +0000, Janet said:

> [ ... ]

> "Fishskin" = a non-rubber condom, for use where one of the partners is
> allergic to rubber.
>
> https://tinyurl.com/ybtw5l8t

Here at alt.usage.englids we learn things we would otherwise never know.

--
athel

[bil...@shaw.ca]

I have known for decades that a "French tickler" is a type of condom
with bumps or protrusions for an enhanced sexual experience.
I discovered only last month, while visiting my favourite deli counter,
that an "English tickler" is a pleasant, medium-old cheddar cheese.

bill

[Peter Moylan]

I hope people wash after using the cheese.

--
Peter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW, Australia

[Dingbat]

On Tuesday, January 23, 2018 at 1:00:46 AM UTC+5:30, bil...@shaw.ca wrote:
> On Monday, January 22, 2018 at 10:57:29 AM UTC-8, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
> > On 2018-01-22 12:20:06 +0000, Janet said:
> >
> > > [ ... ]
> >
> > > "Fishskin" = a non-rubber condom, for use where one of the partners is
> > > allergic to rubber.
> > >
> > > https://tinyurl.com/ybtw5l8t
> >

> > Here at alt.usage.english we learn things we would otherwise never know.

> >
> I have known for decades that a "French tickler" is a type of condom
> with bumps or protrusions for an enhanced sexual experience.
> I discovered only last month, while visiting my favourite deli counter,
> that an "English tickler" is a pleasant, medium-old cheddar cheese.
>
> bill

Whence the expression "tickled pink"?

FWIW, here's a salacious etymology for "tickle one's fancy"
https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/272353/was-tickle-someones-fancy-originally-a-double-entendre

... and its current meaning:
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/tickle-one-s-fancy
https://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/57/messages/1060.html
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tickle_someone%27s_fancy

[Peter Duncanson [BrE]]

On Mon, 22 Jan 2018 17:51:54 -0800 (PST), Dingbat
<ranjit_...@yahoo.com> wrote:

>On Tuesday, January 23, 2018 at 1:00:46 AM UTC+5:30, bil...@shaw.ca wrote:
>> On Monday, January 22, 2018 at 10:57:29 AM UTC-8, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
>> > On 2018-01-22 12:20:06 +0000, Janet said:
>> >
>> > > [ ... ]
>> >
>> > > "Fishskin" = a non-rubber condom, for use where one of the partners is
>> > > allergic to rubber.
>> > >
>> > > https://tinyurl.com/ybtw5l8t
>> >
>> > Here at alt.usage.english we learn things we would otherwise never know.
>> >
>> I have known for decades that a "French tickler" is a type of condom
>> with bumps or protrusions for an enhanced sexual experience.
>> I discovered only last month, while visiting my favourite deli counter,
>> that an "English tickler" is a pleasant, medium-old cheddar cheese.
>>
>> bill
>
>Whence the expression "tickled pink"?

I don't know, so speculation:

"tickle" meaning:
"to excite agreeably" (late 14c.) is a translation of Latin
titillare. Meaning "to poke or touch so as to excite laughter" is
from early 15c.; figurative sense of "to excite, amuse" is attested
from 1680s.
From:
https://www.etymonline.com/word/tickle

OED on "tickle":

II. Transitive senses (= Latin titillare).
3. Said of a thing, or impersonally with it: To excite agreeably (a
person, his heart, ears, palate, etc.); to give pleasure or
amusement to; to please, gratify. "to tickle to death": cf. death n.
Phrases 1b. Also in colloq. phr. "to tickle pink", to delight; to
overcome with pleasure or amusement.

It is possible that the "pink" comes from the idea of tickling
increasing the heart rate resulting in pale skin becoming "pink".

[Madrigal Gurneyhalt]

Agreed except that I'd say probable rather than possible.